My Thesis aims to redefine the concept of assisted living by integrating long-term intergenerational living environments that foster connection, purpose, and community. This approach prioritizes spaces that enable older adults to age with dignity and autonomy while promoting meaningful interactions between generations. By merging care, community, and inclusivity, it enhances the well-being of all residents.These environments are designed to break down age-related segregation and encourage mutual support through shared spaces and activities. They leverage universal design principles and community-based resources to support diverse needs. Ultimately, the goal is to create vibrant, equitable living environments where aging is seen not as decline, but as a continued opportunity for growth, contribution, and belonging.

Pandemics, climate crises, and sociopolitical upheavals disrupt traditional structures, leaving individuals and communities in prolonged states of uncertainty. Emotions are heightened, perceptions are altered, and memories may be distorted. These are moments of uncertainty, when past identity may not serve, and future identity is yet to be realized. In these moments, civilians rely on frontline workers for support and refuge. While they offer unwavering support to us during the crisis, who are the ones taking care of them? As frontline workers deal with multiple crises during their lifetime, they are in a constant state of liminality - caught between processing past experiences and confronting new challenges. Despite their critical role at the time of crisis, frontline workers frequently encounter substantial obstacles in accessing mental health support. The thesis explores how existing liminal spaces can be designed to offer a therapeutic environment to help frontline workers adapt to change, regain stability, re-discover their identities, and provide a space for the community in anticipation of future crisis events.

Kora Sanctuary is a cultural and sensory space designed to honor the multifaceted experiences of women of color. Rooted in principles of grounding, healing, and collective joy, Kora guides guests through a journey of reflection, restoration, and creative expression. Drawing inspiration from Pan-African, Afro-Caribbean, South and East Asian, and Indigenous Latin American traditions, Kora provides a sanctuary that integrates cultural memory with modern design. The project unfolds in layers, each representing key aspects of the healing and creative process, from grounding and release to collective resonance and artistic expression. Kora is not just a physical space, but an embodied experience where guests are invited to move, rest, and reclaim their narratives. Through material choices, sensory design, and personalized guidance from Kora AI, the sanctuary offers a safe, transformative environment for all who enter.

What are you drawn to in the city and why? This thesis applies an interiors lens to the built environment, bringing out qualities of place that foster belonging, create a comfortable and engaging atmosphere, and allow us to feel a sense of attachment. In particular, I am interested in spaces that serve as the backdrop to our everyday lives, whether we acknowledge them directly or not. Our experience walking from one place to another through the urban fabric is fluid, even between our typically defined borders of indoor and outdoor. Introducing interventions to sites around Philadelphia with existing atmospheric and social potential demonstrates how inherently simple elements can transform space into place. This thesis draws from theories of urban design, third place, place attachment, and atmosphere to explore what is extraordinary in the mundane.

This thesis explores the recent rise of American immigration to Mexico City. In response to shifting housing access and cultural displacement, this thesis proposes a transitional co-living space that supports both incoming American immigrants and Mexican locals through intentional community building. Drawing on J. Macgregor Wise’s concept of territorialization through habit, the project considers how built space can help new American immigrants establish routines, maintain identity, and develop a sense of belonging in a new cultural context. This space features rent-controlled units for locals and an American-style diner, designed to foster a shared experience, cultural exchange, and mutual respect. Food plays a central role as a familiar anchor and a tool for connection—bridging memory and place, and creating opportunities for interaction between residents and the wider community. Booths and Borders reimagines migration not as isolation, but as an opportunity to build lasting, place-based community.

As global travel experiences a resurgence, popular destinations increasingly face challenges from overcrowding, affecting both local communities and natural environments. This project proposes a sustainable hospitality model inspired by slow tourism, emphasizing thoughtful, sensory-rich experiences that reconnect guests to the landscape and local life. Northwestern Stables exemplifies this approach by prioritizing community-driven activities, environmentally conscious practices, and meaningful interactions. Through collaborative partnerships with local organizations and farms, the model fosters authentic connections and promotes responsible travel choices. The integration of wellness, local agriculture, and immersive workshops creates unique opportunities for visitors to pause, reflect, and engage more intentionally with their surroundings. By gently dispersing visitors into less-explored areas and involving community stakeholders directly in tourism initiatives, this approach transforms over-tourism’s challenges into opportunities. Ultimately, the project aims to benefit both guests and residents, enhancing quality of life, preserving local identity, and promoting environmental stewardship through conscious design.

As global travel experiences a resurgence, popular destinations increasingly face challenges from overcrowding, affecting both local communities and natural environments. This project proposes a sustainable hospitality model inspired by slow tourism, emphasizing thoughtful, sensory-rich experiences that reconnect guests to the landscape and local life. Northwestern Stables exemplifies this approach by prioritizing community-driven activities, environmentally conscious practices, and meaningful interactions. Through collaborative partnerships with local organizations and farms, the model fosters authentic connections and promotes responsible travel choices. The integration of wellness, local agriculture, and immersive workshops creates unique opportunities for visitors to pause, reflect, and engage more intentionally with their surroundings. By gently dispersing visitors into less-explored areas and involving community stakeholders directly in tourism initiatives, this approach transforms over-tourism’s challenges into opportunities. Ultimately, the project aims to benefit both guests and residents, enhancing quality of life, preserving local identity, and promoting environmental stewardship through conscious design.

Food brings people together—but the spaces where we gather to eat tell stories, too. This thesis explores the intersections of food, architecture, and sensory design, focusing on how dining environments can express regional identity and terroir. Terroir—often associated with wine—refers to the interplay of environment, tradition, and human craftsmanship that gives food and drink their distinctive character. It reflects how land, climate, and culture shape not only flavor but also the spaces in which food is prepared, shared, and celebrated. Drawing on research in foodways, regional architecture, and sensory experience, this project investigates the shared values of food and architecture—craft, materiality, and connection. It proposes that dining spaces should reflect terroir by embedding environmental and cultural narratives into their design. Through features such as sensory tasting rooms, edible gardens, and areas for preservation and production, the project envisions immersive environments that deepen our relationship to food and place—celebrating not only what we eat, but how, where, and with whom we gather.

Food brings people together—but the spaces where we gather to eat tell stories, too. This thesis explores the intersections of food, architecture, and sensory design, focusing on how dining environments can express regional identity and terroir. Terroir—often associated with wine—refers to the interplay of environment, tradition, and human craftsmanship that gives food and drink their distinctive character. It reflects how land, climate, and culture shape not only flavor but also the spaces in which food is prepared, shared, and celebrated. Drawing on research in foodways, regional architecture, and sensory experience, this project investigates the shared values of food and architecture—craft, materiality, and connection. It proposes that dining spaces should reflect terroir by embedding environmental and cultural narratives into their design. Through features such as sensory tasting rooms, edible gardens, and areas for preservation and production, the project envisions immersive environments that deepen our relationship to food and place—celebrating not only what we eat, but how, where, and with whom we gather.

While digital work culture can keep us tethered to enclosed indoor environments, working spaces emerge as a unique opportunity to reimagine the workplace experience. This thesis explores how indoor-outdoor architecture can be integrated into work environments to promote wellness, productivity, creativity, and foster a deeper connection to nature. By blending built environments with natural elements, the design aims to evoke the openness, calm, and restorative qualities we associate with the outdoors. Drawing on principles of nature-inspired design, this research investigates how elements such as daylight, greenery, water features, natural ventilation, and natural materials can shape more human-centered workspaces. The thesis proposes a coworking model that redefines the modern workplace—transforming it into a dynamic, inclusive, and rejuvenating ecosystem aligned with the evolving values of contemporary work life.

The dominant approach in contemporary design emphasizes standardization and efficiency. Sadly, this often overshadows or destroys the unique character and history of buildings. In contrast, this thesis proposes a design ethos that embraces the patina of wear and the feeling of material authenticity. Rather than erase imperfections or overwrite the past, it engages the tactile evidence of time: layers of paint, repairs and alterations made over time, strange patches and conjunctions of materials, and traces of age and use.  Intervention is not seen as a disruption, but as a continuation: a gesture in response to existing conditions. In particular, handmade materials carry the presence of their maker and enter into dialogue with the building’s embodied history, deepening the sense of place and presence. Tool marks, joints, brushstrokes - these become signs of life, not flaws to be corrected. By honoring these imprints—of both time and human labor—this thesis work resists the notion of a finished or perfected space. Instead, it celebrates the building as a living surface, continually shaped by time, use, and care.

In the face of escalating displacement, the global refugee population has surged from 117.3 million in 2023 to 122.6 million in 2024—a startling figure underscoring the urgent need for safe and inclusive environments. Refugees, particularly children, face profound psychological and emotional challenges as they navigate loss, uncertainty, and the demands of cultural integration. This thesis explores how thoughtful design can transform temporary shelters into spaces of healing, safety, and community, especially for displaced children. My thesis envisions environments that foster belonging, empowerment, and resilience through child-centered play areas, educational spaces, communal gardens, and cultural retail zones. By integrating sustainable materials, spaces for cultural expression, and opportunities for economic engagement, the aim is to create pathways toward hope and healing. This project investigates how architecture and interior design can support displaced communities, asking: How can design cultivate a sense of home and community for those who have lost both? And can these spaces serve as catalysts for healing and empowerment amid profound adversity?

Public interior space is crucial to the development and support of communities. It supports civic engagement by providing spaces for connection, activity, and reflection leading to deeper belonging to and stewardship of one’s community. In public space, the transitional non-programmed spaces can create greater opportunity for a wide range of uses and interaction between diverse users. However, public space is unequally invested in. Socio-economic status, as well as race and gender have a huge impact on how public spaces are shaped. Public space should be equally accessible and supportive for all communities. I began this project considering my own experience of public spaces, and how they supported or failed to support me and my community. I am interested in how public interiors can be repurposed to support connection and activity, creating space that is approachable, inclusive, and can be community defined, supporting democracy and the fabric of our cities.

Within the large population of unhoused individuals all over every major city across the United States are a demographic of unhoused women affected by domestic violence. So many of the women who experience violent relationships struggle with the decision of leaving due to housing instability, financial control, and safety. Current statistics reveal that there is a corresponding relationship between unhoused women and domestic violence, and the women who chose to escape these relationships face barriers accessing safe shelters, mental health support services and legal support. The shelters unhoused women currently have access to are not only unsafe, overcrowded and lack privacy, but they do not provide domestic violence victims with the supportive environment and tools that they need to recover. Housing solutions for unhoused women affected by domestic violence need to be designed with a system supporting them throughout their entire journey of regaining stability and integration back into society.

In today’s fast-paced world, many young adults entering a new stage of independence experience heightened anxiety and isolation from their surrounding communities. My thesis explores how interior environments can support this transitional period by fostering emotional well-being and a sense of belonging. Focusing on post-college adults, my design prioritizes comfort and familiarity by drawing on residential cues that evoke the feeling of home. This approach creates a gentle, welcoming atmosphere that reduces the psychological barriers often associated with social spaces. Rooted in the principles of slow architecture, the design encourages users to move at their own pace, absorb their surroundings, and engage mindfully. Flexible zones accommodate varying comfort levels, offering options for solitude, casual interaction, or deeper connection. By creating spaces that feel safe, nurturing, and intuitively navigable, this project aims to bridge the gap between isolation and community and support mental health through thoughtful, human-centered design.

 Omnipresence means being in multiple places simultaneously. Screen-based tools are reshaping presence and embodiment by blending physical and digital realms; humans now exist in a phygital state. The digital age has absorbed many everyday embodied activities into virtual interactions, and in turn, people are bringing those virtual interactions into physical spaces. Historically, design has defined human activity within the physical environment—offices, for instance, facilitate work. Today, a smartphone can transform a desk into a retail store, a doctor’s office, or a family gathering. This thesis explores the omnipresent condition and examines how interior design can support phygital existence. Through a series of site and programmatic prototypes, it investigates design strategies that enhance the ease of phygital embodiment. Drawing from cinematic references, the thesis develops a material, aesthetic and detail approach that reflects today’s screen-based omnipresence and considers how interiors might better accommodate the fluid, multispatial nature of contemporary life.

Focusing on environments that support families undergoing long-term medical treatment, the project explores how spatial design can provide the structure necessary for stability during disruption while fostering warmth through materiality, sensory interaction, and emotional security. The idea of structure offers support and a sense of order, essential for families navigating complex and life-altering circumstances. Warmth, meanwhile, extends from material and color choices to encompass the emotional and psychological impacts of space, comfort, trustworthiness, and creating an environment conducive to healing and wellness. By merging these elements, the design aims to create a space that offers both practical support and emotional solace, contributing to a sense of rejuvenation and optimism.

When one emigrates to another country in search of better opportunities, it often comes with a sense of loneliness and anxiety, as they must start from scratch, leaving behind their friends and family, and adapting to a new culture with minimal support. In such a context, having a strong, united community becomes essential to help immigrants navigate the difficult initial months and adjust to their new reality. Latinx immigration has increased in recent years, doubling the number of immigrants between 2000 and 2022, growing from approximately 130,000 to 252,400. As a result, 22% of Philadelphia’s population is Latinx (Philadelphia Research and Policy Initiative, 2024). Despite this growth, there are few spaces where the Latinx community can come together, connect with their roots, and create meaningful interactions that foster a sense of belonging and cultural pride. As a designer, I am motivated to address this gap by focusing my work on helping create a consolidated and united Latinx community. My goal is to design spaces where immigrants can feel at home and find support, allowing individuals to connect with their emotions, strengthen their identity, and feel supported as they adapt to a new country and reality.

Generative AI is transforming the design process with unparalleled efficiency, precision, and adaptability, allowing for highly customized and optimized spaces. However, as AI-driven tools increasingly shape the way environments are conceptualized and brought to life, a critical question emerges: can algorithms - built on patterns and data - truly capture the cultural narratives, emotional connections, and contextual nuances that give spaces their meaning and soul? This tension is particularly evident in large retail stores, where the design of transitional spaces plays a crucial role in shaping the overall experience. Rather than serving as mere connectors, these spaces have the potential to transform stores into "experience-scapes," immersing users in a seamless journey that fosters discovery, engagement, and emotional connection. AI can optimize layouts for efficiency, but can it truly curate the experiential and narrative-driven depth that makes a space memorable? Or does the essence of transformative design still lie in the human ability to infuse creativity, intuition, and lived experience into every detail?

Tourism in cities has increased worldwide, leading to cultural commodification and the displacement of local residents due to increased living costs and a saturation of short-term rentals. How can cities cultivate spaces that serve their residents while also allowing travelers to visit more mindfully? Drawing inspiration from Albergo Diffuso, an Italian concept which disperses hotel accommodations and programming throughout a small village, this project aims to create a new model for hospitality and urban planning. Using Charleston, South Carolina, as a prototype, tourists are integrated into the city's fabric through homestays with locals, keeping long term residents, now also homeowners, within city limits. This hospitality model integrates local businesses and accommodations within a one-block radius, so locals can stay local, and tourists can experience a curated authentic visit. Through this approach, my thesis presents a scalable framework for cities facing similar challenges, ultimately reimagining tourism to actively support locals rather than displacing them.